DUBAI, Feb 18: Despite losing the Test series against South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday, Pakistan players have gained in the ICC Test Players’ Rankings.

Younis Khan, who made 111 and 14 in the Cape Town Test, has returned to the top 10 in ninth spot after rising two places while Azhar Ali’s total aggregate of 69 runs has earned him 11th spot.

Asad Shafiq, however, is the biggest mover inside the top 50 in the latest player rankings. The 27-year-old from Karachi, who scored 111 and 19, has jumped 12 places to join England’s Ian Bell in 16th position.

Asad is now Pakistan’s fourth batsman inside the top 20 as skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is in 12th position (down by two).

South Africa’s Robin Peterson, who scored a crucial 84 in the first innings, has rocketed 44 places to claim 100th position. Faf du Plessis in 33rd (up by one place), Vernon Philander in 85th (up by three places) and Dean Elgar in 86th (up by six places) are the other home side batsmen to make upward movements.

Hashim Amla, who contributed 25 and 58, has retained his No 1 ranking while fourth-ranked A.B. de Villiers, who scored 61 and 36, has achieved a career-best rating to date of 851 to lead fifth placed Sr Lankan Kumar Sangakkara by nine ratings points but still trails third-ranked Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies by 28 ratings points. Australia captain Michael Clarke remains second.

In the rankings for Test bowlers, Pakistan’s ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has returned to the top three in third spot. Saeed had match figures of 10 for 147 for which he has been rewarded with 58 ratings points. This has not only given him career-best ratings to date of 847 but also a jump of two places.

Saeed now trails second-ranked South African seamer Vernon Philander by 42 ratings points. Philander has collected 32 ratings points for his figures of five for 59 and four for 40. Proteas’ strike bowler Dale Steyn is sitting on top of the tree, 18 ratings points ahead of his new ball partner.—Agencies